Rollins Wish List Donor
Mar 31st, 2010 by David Anderson
It appears Michelle Rollins may have been more than personally pro-choice. She was a donor to Wish List (see the excerpt from the website below), which identifies those who disagree as extremists seems to only recognize one type of woman. It seems to be trying to remake the GOP. More than half of Republican women need not apply. It is everyone’s right to support instituting policies they see as important. I begrudge no one that right. I also have a right to have a different point of view and exercise that right. I now want to know where Mrs. Rollins differs from WISH list. Are people who disagree with her on the extremes? Does she favor Stupack, Hyde, and bans of partial birth abortion and interstate trafficking of minors to avoid parental notification laws? I hesitate to play guilty by association so I invite Mrs. Rollins to answer these important questions.
The WISH List — which stands for Women In the Senate and House® — raises money to identify, train, support and elect more Republican women leaders to public office at all levels of government. WISH is America’s largest fundraising network for pro-choice Republican women candidates!
How does WISH work?
WISH identifies promising pro-choice Republican women candidates.
We examine each candidate, campaign organization and race.
Viable contenders are introduced to our members through profiles.
WISH members are urged to contribute to at least two WISH-endorsed candidates per election cycle.
WISH holds events — from small “living room groups” to large receptions throughout the U.S.– to benefit The WISH List and its candidates.
WISH forwards member contributions to the designated campaigns.
They put forward as a model Governor Whitman who appointed awful choices to the state supreme court, opposed parental involvement laws, and even vetoed a ban on partial birth abortion. Those who differ are extremists.
At the outset of this 2010 election year, The WISH List is preparing to join forces with our longtime strategic partner, the Republican Majority for Choice. They share our commitment to the fight for common sense in the GOP, preserving women’s reproductive rights and, through their PAC, to the election of pro-choice Republicans.
Together, our combined memberships will present a formidable force against extremists at both ends of the political spectrum who would seek to silence voices of moderation in our local, state and federal governments. The stakes we fight for remain high; as mainstream Republicans we must remain vigilant in our efforts to preserve women’s reproductive health choices in 2010 and beyond.
Since The WISH List was founded in 1992, our organization has provided strategic advice, training, and financial support to hundreds of outstanding pro-choice Republican women candidates. With the help of loyal members like you, WISH Members have given a combined total of $3.5 million in contributions to impressive GOP women running for local, state and federal offices all across the country.
Our efforts helped to maintain a strong force of socially moderate, fiscally conservative GOP women in the U.S. Congress. The WISH List also has helped elect dozens of state legislators, as well as mainstream governors such as former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell. Thank you for your commitment to this important cause!
http://www.newshounds.us/2006/03/03/business_show_or_christian_family_hour.php
“O’Donnell was not conciliatory toward pro-choice Republican women. “”If pro-abortion women are going to leave the Republican Party on this then, good-bye because the Republican Party was founded on the pro-life issue,” she said…”
That was Christine O’Donnell’s opinion of pro choice women. Wish List doesn’t want to purge the GOP of pro life women.
Now, you carefully give O’Donnell the chance to respond to accusations and news articles and information that surfaces about her, did you give that same chance to Rollins before you posted this? Have you emailed her your questions? Are you awaiting a response? And that document is from 2004, have her opinions changed since then?
And FYI, the Republican Party was founded on “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…” in 1850, abortion wasn’t the huge issue it was today.
Dave, with respect, I think some further clarification is needed on your statements re: Christie Todd Whitman’s record.
Governor Whitman vetoed the partial-birth abortion bill because it did not make exceptions for the life and physical health of the mother. Although the veto was over-ridden, the statute was later deemed unconstitutional. Although her position may not fit the far-right conservative abortion litmus test, I would venture to say it is farther in line with the thinking of most citizens.
Governor Whitman also signed the law requiring parental notification for minor’s abortion. Although she had opposed such a requirement in principle, she agreed to sign the legislation after the changes were made in the bill to broaden the circumstances where a waiver could be applied (e.g. minor is married, etc).
Note also that the WISH site refers to extremists on BOTH sides, not just the right.
While I don’t know Mrs. Rollins, I would venture to say that her views probably reflect more mainstream than Ms. O’Donnell and are probably more reflective of the public of large. But as rationalizethis says, we should let her answer these questions herself.
Ugh, last paragraph came out awkward. But I think you know what I meant
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When were the abortion laws tightened in every state? I’ll answer, around the 1870 to 1900 range. Who led the push? Let me try again, the evangelicals who ran the GOP including people like Susan B. Anthony. The GOP went from slavery to civil rights, child labor, and right to life as social issues. It has always been part of our heritage.
The answer is yes, read the post carefully. I seriously invite her to share her views. I think that I have made it quite clear in a past post that I respect her and welcome her. That does not mean that she will have special treatment. O’Donnell and Castle have both been the subject of favorable postings and those raising a concern.
I also have an interview request which I am told will likely be filled in April. In the absence of information from her, it is being filled by information from other sources. I have more that I could be using if I were trying to put negative spins out on her. Democrats are trying to paint her in an elitist light and Republicans as a liberal. I tend to dismiss it unless it is a real issue.
Ms. O’Donnell is clear about her positions. I invite Mrs. Rollins to make hers known as well. When and if I get a response, it will be posted unedited. That is what we do for everyone so why do you think she will be different?
Maybe I need to explain that we are news driven. A couple of weeks ago you may have thought we were Castle fans then O’Donnell fans. You may have thought we backed Spencer, Wade, Cullis, or Urquhart. Another day, you may have thought that we were Rollins defenders. No, we are just covering the political discussion. We are letting the average person inside what is happening all the time. We do like some candidates more because they line up with our philosophy. That does not mean we will be unfair to the others.
If your favorite candidate is not getting covered, tell them to send a release or one of us.
The U. S Supreme Court later upheld a similar federal law banning Partial Birth Abortion. The appeals court erred. In fact the Supreme court reversed itself with Alito’s addition. Whether you supported the law an issue of right and wrong. There is no point to seperation of powers if the other branches are there only to rubber stamp what they think the judiciuary may say on an issue that has not been brought before them.
You also ignore the fact that there is no ban if it includes the health exception. There was never a medical necessity to perform it. The high court bowed to the medical professionals.
Partial Birth abortion was stopped because some leaders like Bush had the courage to lead the way. Leaders like Whitman tried to block the way.
The issue of abortion lies with the states.
Mike Protack
It hasn’t for almost 40 years. Thanks to the Supreme Court, it won’t be until Congress or the Court returns it to the states. It is now a federal issue even more than a state one. That is even more true with federalized health care.
Shirley, 80% of the people oppose abortion funding, 72% oppose it in health care legislation, 75% oppose partial birth abortion, 85% favor parental involvement laws. Whitman was on the extreme if you want to put it that way. The country is pretty evenly divided on abortion. That is why where you stand on the broad question won’t be determinative either way. When you go to the Whitman type position, it becomes a serious drag. That is one reason it is important that she clarifies her position just from an electorial point of view. Naturally there are those of us who care about the life issues who vote and want to know as well.
I got the following email from Rollins.
“Dear Mr. Warfel:
As you know I have been traveling around the state meeting with groups of individuals as well as talking on the phone with many community leaders. This has kept me incredibly busy. Some of the questions you have posed are quite detailed and I am not the type of person who would offer less then a full response to the issues that an individual question raises. I am sure you realize that my effort to talk with everyone is tying up a great deal of my time. I will get you a response as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your interest in my campaign and the active role you play in our State.” (Yes, Rollins included that quotation marking making me think someone else wrote that for her.)
Michele Rollins”
It has been 9 days since her email and I have still not heard anything from her. I’ll let you know if she gives me answers, but based her contribution to the Wish List, I doubt I will hear anything from her. Is she hiding her true radical positions? Does she expect us to be stupid enough to vote for a question mark? Time will tell!
I’ll report back if I hear from her.
Until Mrs. Rollins actually a) declares her candidacy and b) declares her position, maybe we need to lay off a little here, huh?
When she declares, then she will be obligated to tell us what she thinks.
I agree with you Michael. She is not obligated until then. Jordan’s point is that she is contacting people like him and inviting them to ask any questions. His are unanswered. It may lost in the process, or she may not like his question. Either way, he is not wrong for asking.
I hear she is declaring her candidacy Monday. She may not have “declared” but she has clearly been running for weeks. And she has been repeatedly reminded by myself and others to answer my questions. And not just mine but a lot of people’s questions about a lot of issues. If she expects us to vote for a question mark, she can forget it.
I’m still waiting…
Jordan she’s not in the race yet. My guess is you won’t get an answer until she decides to run.